Author Spotlight

James Herriot (1916-1995)
James Alfred Wight, who wrote under the pen name of James Herriot, is best known today for the stories he wrote based on his experience as a veterinary surgeon during the 20th Century. Born in County Durham, England to parents James and Hannah Wight, James was raised in Glasgow, Scotland and attended Glasgow Veterinary College there. After qualifying as a veterinary surgeon, he moved to Yorkshire - the setting for his memorable, partially autobiographical stories. The first of these ("If Only They Could Talk," or "All Creatures Great and Small") was published in 1970 and included not only tales of his practice, but also of his time in the Royal Air Force in 1942. Wight was married to Joan Catherine Anderson Danbury and the couple had two children, James Alexander and Rosemary. He passed away in 1995, but his "little cat-and-dog stories" continue to be loved.